Life Of A Nobody - as a Villain

Rio's sudden words and changed demeanour caught Aelthar off guard, but after that he only felt that his pity was wasted on this guy.

But ignoring the God's anger, Rio continued his speech, "You see, I need your legacy if I want to survive. And since you're not willing to give it to me, I'll just have to take it myself."

"Bold words for a mortal." Aelthar hissed in anger, his cold aura causing the temple to shake in terror.

"Easy there." Rio said while spreading his arms, but unlike his fake actions, his expressions showed no sign of any panic. The pressure which previously fell on Rio's shoulder was now blocked by a barrier, before being circulated equally to the ground. Causing the floor around his feet to constantly crack and form a pit.

"Don't forget, it was the mortals who murdered you." Rio said while ignoring the god's surprised gaze. His sharp words spreading salt on the god's suffering.

"Your soul's very weak, Aelthar. So why do we have to fight?" Rio said, giving the god a final chance to walk away, "Just hand over your legacy and move on, like what you were supposed to do after my fake speech."

"Never." The god replied, still firm in his answer. "You may recite pretty words mortal, but your heart is sealed tighter than my tomb. And my legacy, – it's not for people with guarded hearts."

"But I can do so much better with your power than you ever did. I will bring peace and equality that you always spoke of. Trust me." Rio replied.

"Heh, peace and equality? Do you even know the meaning of those words?" The god laughed at his lies, "You, who wears distrust as a crown, who'd rather lie, cheat, and manipulate _ instead of being honest. You are not worthy of my legacy."

"Open your eyes Aelthar, your legacy is a joke. You died for people who spat on your grave… You gave up your everything for the ones, who don't even remember your name. While the ones who slaughtered them are revered and prayed to even now."

"So why bother. Why stick to those principles which brought you nothing but pain?" Rio said.

"You think my sacrifice was a joke. That my life was worthless _ That just goes on to show how shallow your view of the world is." Aelthar replied and added, "Principles are what sets a man free."

"No, they're a cage." Rio said, interrupting the God, "They trap you in circles, and bind you in chains, _ always stopping you from doing what you want to do, or what needs to be done."

"Your principles made you a martyr, Aelthar, not a savior. Not a saint."

The debate between a mortal and a god, a righteous ruler and a realistic survivor began once more. Each trying to prove that they are right. With none willing to back down from their beliefs.

The duo even forgot they were just about to fight or throw hands at each other as if breaking the spirit of the other became far more important than breaking their bones.

"You've sacrificed everything for this world, your friends, family, loved ones _ everyone, and what did that get you in return, _ a stab in the back, and a run down temple where even birds don't shit." Rio said, mocking the god's great self sacrifice journey over the years. Where he always picked others over himself.

"You speak of sacrifice as if it's a curse, but to me, it's the highest form of love.I killed Kaelion to save the city. I left my lover, cause I had a bigger duty to the whole world and not just to her." Aelthar replied back instantly, his tone not in the least bit shaken. "But can you say the same? Can you even look past your own desires, and see the greater good?"

"The greater good? Don't make me laugh." Rio sneered in response, "The greater good is a lie people tell themselves to feel good about their failures. You think killing Kaelion made you noble? It made you a fool."

"You could've found another way. You could've fought harder, smarter, or sacrificed yourself like me. But no—you chose the easy path. You chose to be a martyr because it felt 'right'. Well, guess what? The world doesn't care about what's right. It only cares about who's strong enough to survive."

Aelthar's eyes softened remembering his friend, but his voice remained firm. "Strength without morality is tyranny. Power without compassion is destruction. You think you're free because you have no rules? You're not free, mortal. You're a slave to your own surival, your own fear."

"And you're a slave to your ideals," Rio shot back. "You gave up everything for people who would willingly stab you in the back the first chance they got."

"You think your disciples betrayed you because they were evil? No. They betrayed you because you were weak."

"Not physically, but mentally." Rio corrected his line, "You could've rushed into battle and slaughter the weaker gods with your mystical fog in hand. But like a coward, you showed your back and kept running from one end of the world to another."

"This _ this is why they betrayed you." Rio started shouting and walking closer to the god, "They'd rather believe in the false promise of a helpless god trapped in Your fog, than to trust You for their survival. – that's the difference."

"Your love was wasted, Aelthar. It was a weakness. One which everyone around you exploited for all eternity, yet you failed to see it."

"Love is not a weakness, mortal. It's the only thing that makes life worth living." Aelthar shot back, "My disciples may have been a lost cause, but my death still brings me peace, cause I died for my principles."

"Principles, principles, principles – I'm tired of this word." Rio shouted as he threw his hands in the air and circled the god, "All I know is that the only thing that matters is the people you love, and the ones who love you back."

"And you my dear Aelthar, threw both of them away for your lousy principles."

Rio's sharp words again and again at his old sorrows finally caused a crack in Aelthar's resolve, yet the god still refused to accept the reality, and regret his life. So he pressed on once more.

"What about you? What would you do if you were in my place?" He asked, a part of him wanting to derail Rio, while the other honestly curious about his answer. "Would you burn the world to keep your loved ones warm? Would you sacrifice countless lives, for the sake of the few?"

"In a heartbeat." Rio replied instantly with zero hesitation. "The world can burn for all I care, my people come first. Always."

Though the answer was something Aelthar had expected, seeing him accept it so openly, still surprised the god.

"And what happens next? When the ones you love sees you for the monster you've become? When they realize that the price of your love, and their life, is paid in the blood and bones of others suffering?"

"Would they still love the monster you've become? Or would they turn tail and leave you behind, too afraid to stay by your side and see your shadow?"

Rio clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, as the hypothetical words of the god hit a little bit too close to home, and brought forth a wave of memories he buried deep and tried to forget, every damn day of his life. — yet the god in his flow, didn't notice this anomaly, and kept analyzing and continuing his monologue.

"Wouldn't that loneliness hurt you even more? Wouldn't that be a life full of tears and regrets.."

"That's enough." Rio shouted atop his lungs and punched the god in his anger.

A swirl of darkness blasting the fog around Aelthar, shattering it upon contact and sending the god scattering a couple steps back.

"Not a word,---not_a_single_fucking _word." Rio said as he brought his sword back out and pointed it at Aelthar's neck. Almost stabbing his skin.

The sudden shift in his behaviour, and the force of Rio's punch both caught the god off guard for a second, _ but then, a smile came to Aelthar's lips.

A smirk of victory, as he realized he finally got the weakness of this mortal. For a while, this mortal toyed around him by taunting his choices and his sacrifice, almost making him doubt his ideals _ yet now _ he finally had something to shoot back.

He didn't need to play defense in their debate again, and he too could scratch his old wounds and show how much it hurts.

But the god was wrong once more, cause while he may have had the patience to listen to others mock his suffering or judge his past, Rio was from being that guy.

His past was something he himself didn't revisit often, so how could he let others rub it's edges.

The time for talks was over, and it was finally the beginning of their fight.

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Author note - Sorry the talks lasted a little longer than they were supposed to.

When i started writing it was supposed to be done in one chapter, as that's how I work.

Before writing a word, I check where to start and then at which I point I should stop and finish. _ according to dialogues playing in my head, the whole talking between Rio and Aelthar was supposed to be one chapter. (After the Erebus reveal, I mean.)

But their back and forth dialogues kept coming as cool lines in my mind and I kept typing _ by the time I checked word count _ it was a whooping 2.6k words.

So I had to readjust and divide the chaps in two groups.

Ps if you're confused, and couldn't get understand what I'm bs'ing I simply mean last 3 chaps were supposed to be 2. But due to high lengths I divided them into 3 equally.

If you're free and have the itch to see where my drafted versions started and ended, I've poked $$$$ marks as a sign for u.

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That aside why am I still bullshitting here, not like any of u would care enough to check how I write this.😔🥺🥹😭

[I agree.] x The muted system spoke directly to readers, only to be slapped aside by author.